Chelsea have been dealt another major setback with Cole Palmer suffering a fresh injury blow.
The England international has fractured his toe after hitting it against a door at home, adding to what has already been a frustrating spell on the sidelines for the 23-year-old.
He was actually supposed to return to full training this week after already being out for two months with a groin injury.
Having managed just four appearance this season due to ongoing fitness issues, Palmer will now miss the Blues' next three fixtures across all competitions.
While giving an update about Palmer and his tragic injury, Chelsea manager Maresca said, "He is probably not available for Saturday for sure, Barcelona for sure or Arsenal for sure," as per BBC Sports.
He added, "Unfortunately, he had an accident at home where he hit his toe. It is nothing important, but he won't be back in the next week. I wake up many times during the night - I hit my head, my legs, my everything - so it can happen."
An English footballer has been completely out of football since the September 20 match against Manchester United.
Palmer's injury isn't considered severe but his toe bone still needs time to recover.
At the same time, there is hope that he has passed the most difficult stage of his ongoing groin problem.
